Support for hot tops



AUS- 30, 1932- E. J. KUFMAN 1,874,304

SUPORTI FOR HOT TQPS Filed Apfil 11, 1950 z sheets-smet v1 INVENTQR v2Sheets-Sheet 2 E. J. KAUFFMAN SUPPORT FOR HOT TOPS Filed April 11, 1950Aug. 30, 1932.

xNvENToR Ef/m lm UTK m9597141@ BY 5 M' TTORNEY Patented Aug. 30, 1932UNITED STATES rATENToFl-i-CE EDMUND J'. KAUFFMAN, OF GIRARD, OHIO,ASSIGNOR `TO VALLEYv MOULD AND IRON CORPORATION, OF HUBBABD, OHIO, ACORPORATION 0F NEW YORK SUPPORT FOR HOI.l TOIESY applicati@ me@ April`11,

thetop end of the mold or by mounting the y same in the moldwithsuitable side supports. In prior art structures, the hot top has beenleft open so that any foreign substances, such as pieces of materialfalling from the hot top or other substances dropping into the hot top,could drop into the bottom of the mold. This was particularly true Wherethe mold set-up was made some little time prior to casting the ingot.Foreign substances dropping into kthe mold contaminate the ingot becausethe stream of molten steel poured into the mold would often submergesuch foreign particles and cause them to betrapped in the freezingmetal. The present invention overcomes the prior art by providinga'protecting sheet as a support for the hot top. This sheet may comprisea thin sheet of metal such as mild steel or heavy paper or othersuitable materials. The supporting sheet preferably is continuous so asto completely seal the upper end of the mold set-up. This sheet willcatch and hold any foreign substance which otherwise would fall to thebottom of the mold. When the stream of molten steel strikes thecontinuous sheet it substantially instantaneously burns a hole throughthe sheet and the stream of molten steel enters the moldl through suchopening. However, Where desired, a small opening may be made in thesheet, and the molten steel poured through this opening.

The hot top in accordance with the present invention preferably is ofthe floating hot top type which is adapted to be freely movable in theupper end of the mold when the ingot is completely poured. This freelyfloating hot top arrangement becomes effective when the molten steelrises against the supporting sheet. The molten steel either melts thethin metal sheet or burns the paper or similar sheet so that when thesteel rises beneath the het top sufficiently to float the same, thepositive rigid support for the hot top is de- `idly supported hot tovporting sheet 4 rests.

i lugsG corresponding to ylugs v7 on the mold 1930. serial No. 443,280.

`stroyed. This leaves the hottop free to followV the contraction of theingot lengthwise and thereby obviate hanger cracks in the side skin ofthe ingot, which usually occur when the ingot is stuck to and hangingfrom a rig- It 1s realized that the present invention may be practicedby constructions other than thosespecifically herein illustrated andtherefore the disclosure is to be understood as illustrative and not inthe 'limiting sense.

Referring now to the drawings, F l illustrates a vertical cross-sectionthrough an ingot mold set-up comprising-a supporting ring fr holding thehot topY supporting sheet in p ace.

`Fig-2 illustrates in section a sheet material support for the hot topbeing in the form of a cup, with the flanges thereof resting on the endof the mold.

.F ig. 3 is a sectional view illustrating a supporting sheet beneath thehot top and sustained in the moldv by strap hangers.

Fig. 4 isa detail view illustrating the strap shown inFig. 3. v

Fig. 5'is ajdetail view illustrating a modificationof the-strap hangershown in Fig. 3.

-Fig. 6 is a Fig. 5.

Fig..7 illustrates a sheet hot top support held by frictionalengagement-with the side walls of the mold.

Referring-to the drawings and` more esp'e- `cially toF ig. l, the mold lis provided with a substantially plane top 2 upon which a sup-Preferably, a clamp ring 5 bears upon the supporting sheet 4 to hold thesame securely in place. This clamp ring may, when desired, be providedwith and through Whichpositioning pins 8 maypass in order to accuratelycenter the opening 9 inthe clamp ring 5 directly over thematrix 10 ofthe mold. A hot top 1l sets in the opening 9 in the/clamp ring 5.Preferahly,u the hot topisof destructible `material so that the hottopis used but for a single pour. The

Yhot top may comprise a built-.up composite body of` suitable `materialsor it may comprise a tile or. other, Well known hot top` material. i

detailof the strap shown in The supporting sheet 4 preferably is acontinuous sheet entirely covering the matriX part of the mold, butWhere desired a small opening may be left through which the steel streammay be poured Without necessity of the stream cutting a hole through thesheet. The sheet may7 comprise any7 suitable material but preferably isformed of a thin sheet of mild steel or iron.

Fig. Q shows the hot top 11 being supported' in the mold by a cup shapedsupporting member 12 of sheet material having a flange 14 resting on theend of the mold. In this type of construct-ion, the hot top sets 'downin the mouth of the mold. lf desired, the flange may be raised slightlyabove the end of the mold by Wood or other blocks Which may be removedwhen the ingot is poured. This permits the hot top to rest directly onthe molten steel and obviat-es any possibility of the hot top hanging inthe mold in such manner as may result in hanger cracks in the upper endof the ingot.

Fig. 3 illustrates a construction similar to Fig. 2 exceptthe continuoussupporting sheet 4f instead of being supported by a skirt and flangesissupported by individual Z shaped straps 15 which may, if desired, beattached to the sheet by spot Welding, riveting or the like or thesestraps may be separate members on which the sheet rests. l

Fig. that shown in Figs. 3 and 4 with the exception that a lug 16 isattached to the vsupporting sheet 4 by spot Weldin or riveting and isprovided with a hook end 17, which is adapted to interlock Twith thehook end 18 on a supporting strap 19. The supporting straps 19 may be ofdifferent lengths'so that the operator may adjust the depth'to Whi chthe hot top extends in the mold to suit his conventhe hooks 17 and 18are sulliciently small in thickness so that the distance between theside Wall of the hot top and the inside of thel other forms of she-etiron in which iron formsV the major portion of the composition of thesheet.

It Will be observed from the foregoing that in each case the hot top issupported by a prof tective sheet member which is adapted to bedestroyed when the ingot mold is filled with molten steel. p Thissupporting sheet catches any foreign substance that may tend to fall 5illustrates a construction similar to into the niold and holds the sameuntil the' molten steel rises into the hot top when the foreignsubstances are floated upon the molten steel or if they should becometrapped in the molten steel, the trapping occurs in that part of theingot mold which is cropped olf When the ingot is being fabricated bythe billets, or other fabricated shapes. rEhe edges of the supportingsheet also act to chill any small fin of molten steel that might tend torise between the hot top and the side Wall of the mold. Such fins, ifnot prevented, may tend to loclr the hot top to the mold and causehanger'cracks in the ingot.

Having described my invention, I claim:

ln a mold set-up for casting steel ingots, the combination of an ingotmold having a substantially vertical matrix therein, a hot toptelescoped into the upper end of said matrix, means to support said hottop, said means comprising a flanged cup of thin sheet iron adapted tomelt on contact with molten steel an d with the flange of the cupresting on the top of the mold and the bottom of the cup comprising thesole support for the said hot 3 top.

EDMUND J. KAUFFMAN.

icnce or operating conditions.l ln practice,

